MLB Player News
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Marcelo Mayer SS | BOS
Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Position to be determined
Mayer's starting position has yet to be determined, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. He played both second base and third base during his rookie season in 2025.
Mayer had been ticketed for a starting role at third base, replacing the departed Alex Bregman, but Monday's acquisition of Caleb Durbin from Milwaukee creates uncertainty. Both Mayer and Durbin have experience at the hot corner and second base in the majors, and manager Alex Cora was hesitant to make any decisions Monday. An early indicator of the infielders' eventual landing spot should come Feb. 15, when Boston's position players report to Fort Myers and where the two are stationed during spring training drills.
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Brooks Lee SS | MIN
Twins' Brooks Lee: Leading candidate for shortstop
Lee is the favorite to start at shortstop for the Twins but must show improved range and more consistent offense, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Lee took over as the everyday shortstop last season after Carlos Correa was traded, but he struggled at the position defensively. The Twins have very little depth behind Lee at shortstop, so they have little choice but to throw him out there and hope for improvement with the glove. If Lee falters, Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia would be next in line at shortstop for Minnesota.
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Braden Shewmake SS | NYY
Yankees' Braden Shewmake: Sent outright to Triple-A
Shewmake was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
Shewmake was booted from the 40-man roster Thursday after the Yankees claimed Osvaldo Bido off waivers. Shewmake appears destined to begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A, where he hit .243 with four home runs, 29 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 85 games a year ago.
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Jett Williams SS | MIL
Brewers' Jett Williams: Will get spring reps at third base
Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said Monday that Williams will be given some third-base reps during spring training, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.
Williams has yet to play third base at the professional level, but he's very familiar with the left side of the infield and has a plus arm, so it could be a smooth transition. The hot corner is now wide open for the Brewers after they traded Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio to the Red Sox on Monday. While it's probably a long shot that Williams breaks camp as the starter at third base, showing he can handle the position would give him another path to playing time. The 22-year-old Williams was acquired from the Mets in the deal that sent Freddy Peralta to New York.
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David Hamilton SS | MIL
Brewers' David Hamilton: Dealt to Brewers
The Brewers acquired Hamilton on Monday in a trade with the Red Sox, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Hamilton is a former Brewers farmhand who has slashed .222/.283/.359 over the past three seasons in Boston. While he's mostly played second base and shortstop, Hamilton will be given lots of reps at third base during spring training, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. That position currently looks wide open in Milwaukee, though another addition from outside the organization can't be ruled out.
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Anthony Volpe SS | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Volpe: Likely out until at least May
Volpe (shoulder) will begin the 2026 season on the injured list and is unlikely to be ready to play "at least until May," Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.
Volpe underwent left labrum surgery last October and is still in the recovery phase. This isn't a new timeline for him -- Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported in early December that Volpe isn't likely to play in April -- but rather serves as a reminder for fantasy managers that the young shortstop is going to miss a substantial chunk of time early in the campaign. Jose Caballero seems to be the leading candidate to get the most starts at shortstop until Volpe is back in action.
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Tsung-Che Cheng SS | BOS
Red Sox's Tsung-Che Cheng: Goes to Boston via waivers
The Red Sox claimed Cheng off waivers from the Nationals on Friday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
It's the fifth organization Cheng has been in this offseason, as he has been bouncing around all winter via waivers. The 24-year-old went hitless in seven plate appearances during a cup of coffee in the majors and slashed only .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization last season, but he's known for a reliable infield glove.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: WBC ban won't affect MLB status
Baez has been suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023, but the suspension will not affect his availability for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
The World Baseball-Softball Confederation -- which governs the WBC -- classifies marijuana as a banned substance, hence the suspension. He will be eligible to play again for Team Puerto Rico in the 2029 WBC. Major League Baseball does not list it as a banned substance, so Baez's status with the Tigers is unaffected. The 33-year-old Baez is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in 2026, though he will have to hold off top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the gig.
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Jordan Lawlar SS | ARI
Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Clearer path to roster
General manager Mike Hazen said that Lawlar will get the majority of his reps in the outfield this spring, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Hazen spoke to the media following a trade that sent Blaze Alexander -- the team's presumed starting left fielder -- to the Orioles on Thursday. Hazen said that the team remains open to Lawlar playing some in the infield, but that his clearest path to the roster will come either in center or left field. Alexander's departure could lead to Lawlar finally getting consistent run in the majors, but he'll need a strong spring to bolster his case.
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George Lombard SS | NYY
Yankees' George Lombard: Grabs invite to MLB camp
The Yankees have extended Lombard an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.
Fellow top prospects Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess, among others, will also be on the major-league side of camp. Lombard was in big-league camp last year, too, but could stick around longer this time after spending most of the 2025 season at Double-A Somerset. The 20-year-old slashed .235/.367/.381 with nine home runs and 35 stolen bases over 132 contests between High-A Hudson Valley and Somerset last season.